UTPB softball opened up a three-game weekend series at Rogers State with a 1-0 blanking of the Hillcats Thursday afternoon, but Rogers State came back with a shutout of its own in game two for a 3-0 win to close out Thursday's action.

Desiree Valero earned her sixth win of the year in game one, holding RSU to just five hits while walking none and hitting a batter for her third complete game shutout of the season. She struck out five Hillcats and stranded the game-tying run in two of the final three innings.

Aurora Burks came through with the only run of the game in the second inning, driving in Miley McKee with a double to right after McKee led off the inning with an infield single to second.

The fortunes reversed in game two as UTPB was only able to get five runners on base behind four hits and a walk. The Falcons had two runners in scoring position when Niki DiSera singled up the middle and Taleas Marble followed with a double to right with one out in the inning, but Rogers State got out of the inning with a pair of fly balls to keep the Falcons without a run.

Rogers State scored earlier in the game, getting its first run on a two-out single into center in the third inning before adding a second run in the fourth. RSU got another in the bottom of the sixth after leading off the inning with two straight hits. 

The teams return for the rubber game of the series Friday, with first pitch for game three scheduled for a noon start.